Plans to build Germany’s 387- mile long cable worth as much as 2 billion euros ($2.8 billion) are at risk because Norway’s state-owned Statnett SF is worried that the project will not be profitable. Norway seeks assurances from the German government that the works dubbed Nordlink will be part of a future capacity market that pays for backup power. The proposed cable will have the capacity to transmit 1.4 GW of power and would be the first direct power link between the two nations, running from Tonstad in southern Norway to Wilster in northern Germany.

Japan to Guarantee Debt for Two Geothermal Ventures

The Japanese government will guarantee debt to build geothermal power stations to attract investments, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. State-run Japan Oil, Gas & Metls National Corp. will offer the guarantee for a 5 MW project in the southwestern prefecture of Oita. JOGMEC will also guarantee debt for a 400 kilowatt station in Fukushima, adds the ministry. The move is to encourage financing from private institutions that are unfamiliar with geothermal ventures, says JOGMEC official Hidefumi Nakashima.

NRG Acquires Installer Roof Diagnostics

NRG Energy Inc., the largest independent U.S. electricity producer, bought rooftop solar installer Roof Diagnostics Solar Inc. as it looks to capitalize on the growing decentralized power market. Roof Diagnostic’s 475- employee firm headquartered in Wall Township, New Jersey will be rolled into NRG’s existing rooftop unit NRG Residential Solar Solutions. NRG predicts a prolonged period through which the traditional neutralized grid-based power system co-exist with the fast-rising distributed generation sector, says NRG CEO David Crane.

New Nanoparticle Coating to Make Aircraft Engines More Robust and Use Less Fuel

According to new research from University West in Sweden, th eservice life of aircraft engines can be increased by up to 300% by using a new nanoparticle coating. The coating will also allow the temperature within the engine to be raised, which would increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Researcher Nicholas Curry says that the coating will use a ceramic base. There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered but the aircraft industry is already pushing to get the technology into production stage within two years.